So-called "Gas Management Systems" (GMS) are known and virtually eliminates the need for a gas station attendant. In such systems, there is mounted around the fuel tank inlet of a vehicle a coil antenna that is controlled by a microcontroller located discreetly within the vehicle. At the refueling site, the nozzle of the GMS system pump is fitted with a nozzle coil front-end which interfaces with the site or forecourt controlling computer.
Authorization to refuel occurs during the contact-free, two-way communication between the vehicle and the site controlling computer. When the pump nozzle enters the fuel inlet, radio frequency communication occurs between the two. Driver identification is also established at this stage providing for an additional level of security.
Where more than one driver uses a specific vehicle, GMS provides an option of issuing driver tags which must be presented to the pump front-end prior placing the nozzle into the fuel inlet. Once the computer is satisfied that this is an authorized driver and that the right fuel is about to be dispensed into the right vehicle, it initiates the flow of fuel into the car's fuel tank.
Refueling continues as long as communication is maintained between the coil antenna in the vehicle's fuel tank and the fuel nozzle. On removing the nozzle, communication is interrupted, immediately stopping the flow of fuel. All data is automatically stored on the site computer and is forwarded daily to the transaction administrators, enabling them to provide their customers with comprehensive fuel management reports.
Installation of such a system requires a mechanical mounting for fixing the coil antenna proximate the fuel tank. The coil antenna must then be wired to the antenna interface of a smart card fitted inside the vehicle thus requiring the steel body of the vehicle to be drilled so as to pass the connection cable therethrough. Whilst these are not in themselves difficult operations, they are clearly beyond the ability of most motorists and thus have to be performed by a mechanic having access to the proper tools.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,439 (Ott et al.) discloses a self-closing cap particularly adapted for use with the filler neck of vehicle fuel tanks. As shown in FIG. 1, the self-closing cap 11 comprises a closure ring 15 having an annular seal 23 and being attachable to the filler neck 12. A spring-biased closure flap 14 having a seal is swivel-mounted on the closure ring with two bearing arms 20 to a shaft 30 supported by a bearing block 17 inserted in a recess on the housing ring. A locking spring seated on the shaft of the bearing block biases the closure flap, with one end 29 of the spring engaging the closure flap 14 or a bearing arm 20 and the other end of the spring engaging the bearing block 17.
When used to seal a vehicle fuel tank, a fuel nozzle being part of a gas filling station may be inserted through the annular seal against the spring bias so as to urge the closure flap into an open position, whereby fuel may be pumped into the fuel tank. On removing the fuel nozzle, the spring biased closure flap returns to its closed position, thus sealing the fuel tank. By such means, no mechanical removal of the seal is required and therefore such a self-closing cap is amenable to automatic fueling systems of the kind described above.
Use of such self-closing caps still does not of itself address the problem associated with mounting the coil antenna around the fuel pipe within the vehicle. It would obviously be desirable if a simpler way were provided for achieving this objective without requiring the services of qualified personnel.